English Proficiency

Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency, there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects. In predominant frameworks in the United States, proficient speakers demonstrate both accuracy and fluency, and use a variety of discourse strategies. Thus, native speakers of a language can be fluent without being considered proficient. Organizations

ACTFLThe American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) distinguishes between proficiency and performance. In part, ACTFL's definition of proficiency is derived from mandates issued by the US government, declaring that a limited English proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and "who has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society." ACTFL views "performance" as being the combined effect of all three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational

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The low levels of English proficiency among university students nowadays becoming a hot issue among academic thinkers. This is because the students’ English language skills are not being developed during their higher education experience. Thus, reflects negatively on the quality of higher education and its graduates. The factors low English proficiency among most learners are due to two factors; internal factors such as no confident when using English, negative attitude towards the English language and external factor like the limited...

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...Levels of Language Proficiency
Elementary to Limited Proficiency
* The first two levels of language proficiency deal with the absolute basics of the language. These levels are where speakers learn vocabulary and grammar, especially how to properly conjugate words and how to speak in the past, present and future tenses. By the time these two levels are completed students should have some basic grasp of the language, and they should be able to hold casual, relatively simple conversations about subjects with which they are familiar. At the upper end of limited proficiency, speakers should be able to communicate simple needs such as directions, food and everyday questions.
Professional Proficiency
* In this level of language proficiency students move from attempting to memorize terms and vocabulary into the actual structure of the language. Students at this level are working on becoming conversationally fluent, and not only speaking but expressing themselves.
Concepts of study become more abstract in during this level of learning, and matters of opinion and debate are more common. Additionally, during this time, students should begin to understand more complex forms of grammar as well as some of the cultural context that has formed the language to be what it currently is.
Generally, as they progress through this level, students should be able to speak at a regular rate of speech...

...Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency,[1] there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects. In predominant frameworks in the United States, proficient speakers demonstrate both accuracy and fluency, and use a variety of discourse strategies.[2] Thus, native speakers of a language can be fluent without being considered proficient.
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Organizations
[edit]ACTFL
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) distinguishes between proficiency and performance. In part, ACTFL's definition of proficiency is derived from mandates issued by the US government, declaring that a limited English proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and "who has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society."
ACTFL views "performance" as being the combined...

...have examined the impact of English language proficiency on various fields like academic success and employability. While early researches suggested that Englishproficiency does not dictate high academic rating and employment aptitude, evidences are now showing that proficiency of the English language is a cutting-edge asset in areas of academic success and employment in a highly-competitive and demanding industries in Medicine and Fitness, Information Technology, and the Business Process Outsourcing. In the Philippines, for example, where there is an increasing demand of call center workers year after year, fluency of the English language should be a topmost priority among schools. It is on this ground that the issue of how English language proficiency relates to academic achievement and employability is clearly relevant to the educational development of bilingual and trilingual students.
This issue has been a widely debated topics not only in the Philippines, but also around some parts of the United States and Europe. Underlying these issues, the question of what Englishproficiency means and how it relates to academic achievement and employability should be addressed.
Central to the understanding of English language proficiency is J. Cummins’s Theory of Language...

...﻿EnglishProficiency of Business Management Students of Taguig City University as a Factor Contributing to Academic Performance
Academic Year 2014-2015
A Thesis Presented to the College
Of Business Management
Taguig City University
In Partial Fulfillment to the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Business Management
By:
Arvin C. Amor
Jullian P. Baladjay
Lee Ward O. Butihen
Ericka Shayne G. Cara
Camille A. Oriel
Alvin T. Santoalla
Charlene C. Violeta
BSBM/A32 (am)
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
English language cannot simply be neglected for enhancing the educational attainment of students. Students who have so much difficulties with their communication skill in English language may not function effectively, not only in their everyday life but also in their academic success and this is no reason than the fact that English language in Philippines today is the language of text-books and the language of instruction in schools. When Students’ Proficiency in English Language is high, it will definitely affect and improve the academic performance of such students.
Nowadays, the English language plays a very important role not only in the daily lives of every Filipino but also in its economy as a whole. In a blog written by Dave Llorito on 2007, he said that Sixty percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product...

...speak it the same way you speak English; you just use different words." When trying to assist in instructing English language learners, they usually have many concepts and language abilities that they need to master, as do the teachers that are trying to teach them. With the incorporation of the concepts and approaches to identify and assess the issues and concerns that we have learned in our classroom instruction, such as lesson preparation, building background, and comprehensible input, we can indeed teach our future English language learners all the right moves with all the right words.
One of the first challenges that ELL instructors must come to terms with is the identification and assessment of their students' learning capabilities in their classroom. Traditional identification instruments designed for English speakers may not be valid with English language learners. Identification of English language learners with special needs should include consideration of several factors, such as family history, developmental and health history, first language and literacy development, previous schooling, and the learners' current academic ability, just to name a few. Learning in any language is affected by learning disabilities, but second language learners with special needs present additional educational challenges. According to the British Columbia Ministry of Education, Skills,...

...ENGLISHPROFICIENCY OF PNTC STUDENTS
INTRODUCTION
This thesis presents the declining of EnglishProficiency of PNTC students. Followed by the problem statement and the aims of the study used in the data gathering. An assessment of the selection of participants as well as the instruments is included. This is followed also by a discussion used for data gathering, procedures and how it was conduct and analyzed. An evaluation follows with the conclusion thereafter.
In order to get the effectiveness, adaption and views of the students and teachers, we examine the development in the field of teachings and understandings. The study includes the role of the teachers to initiate the best teachings strategies, the achievement in improving the language skills and method for evaluating their quality and the validity of their outcomes.
EnglishProficiency is the biggest competitive advantage in the global job market today especially in maritime business. PNTC students needs improvement with their English tenses, grammar, vocabulary, speech and writing as we observed. It is fast being eroded with declining mastery of it by our college students.
Now, we are aiming to focus on the growth of EnglishProficiency as it continues to decline. As the students, are aiming to work also in international companies. Since, we know, things like international...

...at Washington State University. My chair Dr.Tom Salsbury recommended some of the articles that I included in this literature review. The key words are engagement, motivation, English language Learners, reading, struggling readers, parent involvement, home literacy, literacies, home-school connections, and funds of knowledge.
Introduction
Of all student populations (aside from participants in Special Education programs), English Language Learners (ELLs) face the most academic challenges—especially on standardized evaluations emphasizing academic literacy skills (Baker, 2006; Crawford, 2004). In the US, many policies have been put forth over the past 60 years to meet the needs of ELL students (Johnson, 2009). Stemming from the Civil Rights activist movements in the 1960s, language-minority students were assured the right to a bilingual education (Title VII of the ESEA). In the 1970s, the Lau v. Nichols case played an important role in the history of bilingual education because it determined the right to a comprehensible education. The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act eliminated the emphasis on bilingual education and shifted the overall focus on English acquisition (Crawford, 2004). This monolithic emphasis on English stems from an ideological orientation that positions languages other than English as a problem (Ruiz, 1988).
Nowhere are challenges with academic literacy more evident than in...

...September 2012
THE EFFECTS OF PROFICIENCY ON THE WRITING PROCESS OF JORDANIAN EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Al-Sawalha, Abdulla Musa Salem Universiti Sains Malaysia Pulau Pinang, MALAYSIA. musa2000ca@yahoo.co.uk Chow, Thomas Voon Foo Universiti Sains Malaysia Pulau Pinang, MALAYSIA. tomichow@usm.my
ABSTRACT
Up to date, very few studies have explored writing processes in the context of EFL. The purpose of the study was to investigate how writing proficiency affects the writing process of a selected group of English language and literature students at Yarmouk University in Jordan. (60) English language and literature students at Yarmouk University in Jordan were asked to complete a questionnaire of writing strategies. Significant results were found in this study. First, writing processes were seldom used among students at Yarmouk University in Jordan. Second, Englishproficiency affected the writing processes used among students at Yarmouk University in Jordan. The respondents, like most Jordanian university students, usually fail to express complex ideas in their writing as they lack the appropriate vocabulary, both general and technical, as is evident in the respondents’ answers. The lack of appropriate vocabulary on the part of the respondents in turn affects their writing process itself as the findings reveal that these low proficiency respondents did not plan, edit or...